


Secret Santa

by Ethereal_Wishes



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Rumbelle Secret Santa, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-16 22:49:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13063800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ethereal_Wishes/pseuds/Ethereal_Wishes
Summary: Gold and Belle aren't well acquainted, but a Storybrooke Secret Santa gift exchange might change all of that.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BerniceAmbler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BerniceAmbler/gifts).



Secret Santa

A/AN: I wrote this for Berniceambler, my giftee. It's just a little stocking stuffer I couldn't resist writing. 

Belle French – town librarian – gazed down at the small slip of paper on her desk. It was midday, and her lunch hour. The mail had been delivered, along with her secret Santa assignment. The exchange had been a voluntary sign up, but she was relatively new in town, and she thought this might help break the ice among the other residents. She expected a couple of harmless letters back and forth, accompanied by a few inexpensive gifts. When she'd broken the envelope's seal, she wasn't expecting to find the most revered man in town's name to appear. Why had he even signed up? Tobias Gold seemed the least likely person to sign up for a Christmas gift exchange. Was this all a joke to him?

Belle groaned, threading her fingers through her hair agitatedly. Whatever his reasons, she wasn't sure, but it didn't matter, because he was her recipient, and she had to start thinking about what to purchase him. 

Each week followed a theme, and for three weeks, a gift would be mailed to each recipient. The first week seemed simple enough; it was merely baked goods or store bought confections. Belle had settled on some homemade chocolate fudge, shaped like Christmas trees. She'd placed the dessert in a festive red tin with a reindeer printed on top, mailed it and hoped for the best.

~X~

Tobias Gold wasn't sure what provoked him to sign up for Storybrooke's yearly Secret Santa exchange. Well yes, he did. It had been accidental. He'd been thumbing through his mail, stumbled upon the letter Mayor Mills sent out every year, mindlessly checked yes, because he thought it was an invitation to her big Christmas bash, the one which was mandatory, and he was expected to attend. He'd planned to stay for an hour and slip out before anyone noticed. He only bothered to come because he was a business owner, and she'd raise hell if he wasn't present.

The letter had came unexpectedly, and he cursed inwardly when he spied it. Throwing it away and pretending he hadn't received one seemed like the better alternative. However his curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he found himself unable to resist tearing open the envelope. His heart plummeted in his chest when he saw her name written in eloquent calligraphy. He'd been matched with the most gorgeous woman in Storybrooke. He'd never really taken the time to get to know her, but they had spoken in passing.

He'd longed to though, but he knew she probably had no desire to know him since the townsfolk had most likely filled her in about his loathsome reputation. He was a landlord and loan shark, and he always collected on his debts, showing no mercy or leniency on those who didn't pay on time. He knew she would probably snub her nose at him once she found out he was her secret Santa, but he found himself unable to resist the opportunity to get better acquainted with her. That afternoon he'd stopped by the town bakery and purchased her an assortment of truffles. He'd placed them in a holographic green box and mailed them the following day, hoping and praying this boded well for him.

~X~

Two days passed, and an unexpected package was delivered to the library. It was wrapped in blue wrapping paper, decorated with snowflakes. She gingerly opened the package to find a neatly handwritten note which read, "I hope you like truffles". Belle couldn't help but salivate at the contents of the package. She undid the ribbon on the green holographic box. Inside were six various truffles. She languidly devoured them throughout the next several days, savoring the taste of salted caramel, chocolate, and strawberry cream. Whoever her secret Santa was had already wormed their way into her heart.

~X~

Gold blinked owlishly when the package arrived, wondering who dared to gift him with anything. He expected to find a nest of spiders or an angry viper when he opened the decorative tin. He was pleasantly surprised to find fudge. He sniffed it cautiously, wondering if it had been poisoned. He decided to risk it, popping the Christmas tree shaped dessert into his mouth. The taste of almonds and cocoa exploded on his palette, and he had to restrain himself from devouring the entire batch in one sitting. He made it last for four days and didn't feel the slightest bit ill. He deduced whoever it was didn't have a death wish and wanted to stay on his good side.

~X~

Picking out a gift for the second week's exchange had been a bit more tricky. The theme was Christmas ornaments, and Belle didn't know where to begin. She'd become desperate and decided to visit his shop for once. It was a brisk wintry day, and the moment she opened the door, a wave of pleasant warmth greeted her. She glanced at all the baubles lining the walls and shelves of his shop.

"Can I help you?" A Scottish accent resounded close by. 

Belle looked up, meeting the shop owner's gaze. He was dressed in a three piece suit, a gold tipped cane resting in his right hand. 

"I was looking for antique books, do you have any in your possession?" she inquired hurriedly. 

"Of course, right in the back," he returned, gesticulating for her to follow him.

Gold felt his heart beat tumultuously, wondering why Belle French was in his shop. Her close proximity unnerved, yet exhilarated him all at once. He did his best to play it cool, showing her his display of books. She'd purchased a book of Grimm's Fairytales and been on her way. Her affinity for books had solved his ornament dilemma. He'd found an ornament in a discarded box of Christmas decorations. It was painted red, with "A Christmas Carol" printed on the front. He'd touched up the chipped paint along the edges, and placed it in a small silver box, cradled by green tissue paper.

Belle didn't need the book, but she'd purchased it as a means to distract Mr. Gold. There had been a spinning wheel in the back of his shop, and that had given her a clue as to what type of ornament she was going to give him. She'd found a seller on Etsy which made hand carved Christmas ornaments. Belle had found one shaped like a spinning wheel and had chosen expedited shipping. She'd mailed it to him the following day. 

Gold couldn't believe his eyes when the package arrived. He'd been expecting a generic Christmas ball, not some intricately carved spinning wheel. Tears misted behind his eyes as he delicately touched the ornament. Whoever had gifted him with this had truly put thought into it. He truly wondered who his Santa could be, and if he'd be surprised by the revelation. 

Belle's ornament hadn't surprised her. She was a librarian, and anyone could have thought a book ornament was the perfect fit. Still, "A Christmas Carol" was one of her favorites, and not just anyone would have known such a minor detail, but she brushed it off as a coincidence and hung it on a special place on her tree, upstairs in the caretaker's apartment.

~X~

The final week of gifting was a hand knit accessory. The stipulation of the final gift exchange was the big reveal. Each Santa had to hand deliver their gifts. Belle loathed knitting, but she'd managed to knit Tobias a gold scarf, after watching and pausing several tutorial videos on Youtube. Tobias had effortlessly knit Belle a dark blue toboggan, he imagined would contrast beautifully with her eyes.

Belle had walked across the street that Friday after closing the Library. The light in his shop was still on, and the sign was still turned to "Open". Belle pushed open the door, sucking in a deep breath as she made her way to the front counter. In a matter of seconds, Tobias appeared from behind the curtain. 

"Can I help you, Ms. French? Come here to buy more books?" he inquired, eying her quizzically. 

"No, I came by to give you this," she respired, handing him the snowman gift bag. 

"And what's the occasion?" he inquired skeptically. 

"The occasion is the secret Santa gift exchange, I'm your Santa," she chortled nervously. 

Gold flushed deeply as the revelation hit him. "Just give me one moment," he replied, hastily rushing to the back of his shop. 

Belle felt panic rising in her chest, wondering if she'd struck a nerve. Her fears were put to rest when he reemerged, bag in hand.

"And it seems I'm your Santa, what are the odds-"

"We'd be each other's Santa," Belle finished his statement, collecting the bag from his hands. 

"How lovely!" Belle gushed, admiring the handmade toboggan.

A smile tugged at Gold's lips as he fished the golden scarf from his bag. The stitching was a bit off, but he surmised she'd spent a lot of time on his present, and her effort made his heart rate increase. 

"I really like the color, and these winter mornings can be unforgiving," he said, tucking the scarf around his neck. 

"Gold becomes you," she teased, beaming radiantly at him. 

"You know, Regina's having a party at her house tonight, care to accompany me?" he stated invitingly. 

"I'd be obliged, want to walk back to the library with me for some hot cocoa?" she grinned. 

"Most certainly, just let me retrieve my coat," he told her, feeling his body become pleasantly warm.

Belle looped her arm through his as they walked back across the street, their minds filled with dreams of blissful tomorrows, and their hearts with cheer.

A/AN: Short and sweet, but I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!


	2. Chapter 2

Secret Santa: Part Two

A/AN: It was requested, so I decided to add another part.

Regina wasn't sure what she expected to happen at her annual Christmas gathering, but it sure wasn't Gold arriving with Belle French on his arm, smiling like he'd won the lottery. Gold never smiled; he smirked, but there was a difference. When she'd received his participation card in the mail for the Secret Santa exchange, she'd been baffled. 

Her assistant – Sidney Glass – was instructed to send an invitation to everyone in Storybrooke, but Gold. It was certainly a waste of time because he'd never been interested in participating in the past. When she received his card back, Regina was flummoxed. She felt like lecturing Sidney, but she had another problem on her hands. She had to find someone to pair Gold up with, which was no one in town.

She'd been at a loss, until she'd spied the town librarian's card, Belle French. She'd only lived in their quaint town for a few months, and though she was pleasant company, she was still the newbie, which meant she got paired off with Gold. 

Regina had expected a catastrophe of epic proportions, because Gold was the most unlikable person in Storybrooke, and no one got along with him. However, she hadn't anticipated them to come to her celebration, smiling like two lovesick fools.

Actually, no one appeared thrilled to be at her party except for those two. They'd stayed to themselves, chatting animatedly in a corner. An hour into the celebration, she'd heard him mumble something about going to look at Christmas lights, and they'd left. 

She'd even made her famous apple turnovers for crying out loud, yet no one seemed to be enjoying themselves, except for the man she'd expected to be miserable the entire night. After the party, Regina had retired for the evening, glass of wine in hand. Thankfully the day was over, and seeing Gold smile felt amiss. She had a feeling the petite librarian might just have the ability to tame the beast. She concluded the gift exchange was a success if it made being around Gold more tolerable. 

~X~

"I had such a wonderful time tonight, Tobias." Belle beamed radiantly at the pawnbroker, as they stood in front of the library. 

"Me too, and you made Regina's insufferable gathering enjoyable for a change," he chuckled, brushing hair from her eyes.

She shuddered at the innocent contact, the overwhelming desire to kiss him eclipsing her senses. She leaned up on her tiptoes, brushing her lips chastely against his. He blinked owlishly, spellbound by her glimmering azure irises, reflecting ethereal moonlight. 

He kissed her back, savoring the way her lips felt pressed against his. Under the streetlights of an obsolete Maine town, love bloomed, all because Tobias Gold accidentally checked 'yes' on a card for a holiday giveaway he never dreamed of being apart of. And it would last because Belle French had decided to push back her prejudices and see the man everyone claimed was a monster. 

A/AN: Yet again, short and sweet, but I really didn't have anything else planned for this one, thanks for tuning in!


End file.
